When You Are Ready to Commit to Forty Days
You are about to take on something powerful. Forty days of saying one of the most exalted tefillos ever composed. Whether you are waiting for a shidduch, hoping for a child, davening for a refuah, or crying out for any yeshuah, this commitment says to Hashem: I am serious, and I am not letting go.
We present the sacred nishmat kol chai 40 days segulah, a practice passed down from Rebbetzin Batsheva Kanievsky a”h. Reciting Nishmat Kol Chai every single day for forty consecutive days has been a channel for yeshuos in fertility, in shidduchim, and far beyond. The tefillah itself is ancient; the Gemara (Pesachim 118a) records R’ Yochanan’s view that Nishmat is the Birkat HaShir said at the conclusion of the Seder, and Machzor Vitry attributes its authorship to Shimon ben Shetach. We say it every Shabbos morning in Pesukei d’Zimra. But the 40-day commitment elevates it into something singular.
Before You Say This Tefillah
Find a quiet moment. Let everything else fall away. You are standing before Hashem, and He already knows what sits on your heart. Before you begin Nishmat, open with this tefillah composed by Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Charities:
Master of the Universe, I accept upon myself to recite Nishmat Kol Chai for forty consecutive days — to awaken Your mercy upon me. The soul of every living being blesses Your Name — and in the merit of this prayer, open for me the gates of yeshuah. God of Meir, answer me.
If giving tzedakah, add:
In the merit of the tzedakah I give in the merit of Rabbi Meir, may You open for me the gates of mercy. Ribbono Shel Olam, I care for Your children — please care for me.
Nishmat Kol Chai: The Full Prayer
נִשְׁמַת כָּל חַי תְּבָרֵךְ אֶת שִׁמְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְרוּחַ כָּל בָּשָׂר תְּפָאֵר וּתְרוֹמֵם זִכְרְךָ מַלְכֵּנוּ תָּמִיד
מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם אַתָּה אֵל וּמִבַּלְעָדֶיךָ אֵין לָנוּ מֶלֶךְ גּוֹאֵל וּמוֹשִׁיעַ פּוֹדֶה וּמַצִּיל וּמְפַרְנֵס וּמְרַחֵם בְּכָל עֵת צָרָה וְצוּקָה אֵין לָנוּ מֶלֶךְ עוֹזֵר וְסוֹמֵךְ אֶלָּא אָתָּה
אֱלֹהֵי הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וְהָאַחֲרוֹנִים אֱלוֹהַּ כָּל בְּרִיּוֹת אֲדוֹן כָּל תּוֹלָדוֹת הַמְּהֻלָּל בְּרֹב הַתִּשְׁבָּחוֹת הַמְּנַהֵג עוֹלָמוֹ בְּחֶסֶד וּבְרִיּוֹתָיו בְּרַחֲמִים
וַיהֹוָה לֹא יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן הַמְעוֹרֵר יְשֵׁנִים וְהַמֵּקִיץ נִרְדָּמִים וְהַמֵּשִׂיחַ אִלְּמִים וְהַמַּתִּיר אֲסוּרִים וְהַסּוֹמֵךְ נוֹפְלִים וְהַזּוֹקֵף כְּפוּפִים לְךָ לְבַדְּךָ אֲנַחְנוּ מוֹדִים
אִלּוּ פִינוּ מָלֵא שִׁירָה כַּיָּם וּלְשׁוֹנֵנוּ רִנָּה כַּהֲמוֹן גַּלָּיו וְשִׂפְתוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁבַח כְּמֶרְחֲבֵי רָקִיעַ וְעֵינֵינוּ מְאִירוֹת כַּשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְכַיָּרֵחַ וְיָדֵינוּ פְרוּשׂוֹת כְּנִשְׂרֵי שָׁמַיִם וְרַגְלֵינוּ קַלּוֹת כָּאַיָּלוֹת אֵין אֲנַחְנוּ מַסְפִּיקִים לְהוֹדוֹת לְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וּלְבָרֵךְ אֶת שְׁמֶךָ עַל אַחַת מֵאֶלֶף אַלְפֵי אֲלָפִים וְרִבֵּי רְבָבוֹת פְּעָמִים הַטּוֹבוֹת שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ עִם אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְעִמָּנוּ
מִמִּצְרַיִם גְּאַלְתָּנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וּמִבֵּית עֲבָדִים פְּדִיתָנוּ בְּרָעָב זַנְתָּנוּ וּבְשָׂבָע כִּלְכַּלְתָּנוּ מֵחֶרֶב הִצַּלְתָּנוּ וּמִדֶּבֶר מִלַּטְתָּנוּ וּמֵחֳלָיִם רָעִים וְנֶאֱמָנִים דִּלִּיתָנוּ
עַד הֵנָּה עֲזָרוּנוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ וְלֹא עֲזָבוּנוּ חֲסָדֶיךָ וְאַל תִּטְּשֵׁנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ לָנֶצַח
עַל כֵּן אֵבָרִים שֶׁפִּלַּגְתָּ בָּנוּ וְרוּחַ וּנְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּפַחְתָּ בְּאַפֵּינוּ וְלָשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתָּ בְּפִינוּ הֵן הֵם יוֹדוּ וִיבָרְכוּ וִישַׁבְּחוּ וִיפָאֲרוּ וִירוֹמְמוּ וְיַעֲרִיצוּ וְיַקְדִּישׁוּ וְיַמְלִיכוּ אֶת שִׁמְךָ מַלְכֵּנוּ
כִּי כָל פֶּה לְךָ יוֹדֶה וְכָל לָשׁוֹן לְךָ תִשָּׁבַע וְכָל בֶּרֶךְ לְךָ תִכְרַע וְכָל קוֹמָה לְפָנֶיךָ תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה וְכָל לְבָבוֹת יִירָאוּךָ וְכָל קֶרֶב וּכְלָיוֹת יְזַמְּרוּ לִשְׁמֶךָ כַּדָּבָר שֶׁכָּתוּב כָּל עַצְמוֹתַי תֹּאמַרְנָה יְהֹוָה מִי כָמוֹךָ מַצִּיל עָנִי מֵחָזָק מִמֶּנּוּ וְעָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן מִגּוֹזְלוֹ
מִי יִדְמֶה לָּךְ וּמִי יִשְׁוֶה לָּךְ וּמִי יַעֲרָךְ לָךְ הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל הַגִּבּוֹר וְהַנּוֹרָא אֵל עֶלְיוֹן קוֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ
נְהַלֶּלְךָ וּנְשַׁבֵּחֲךָ וּנְפָאֶרְךָ וּנְבָרֵךְ אֶת שֵׁם קָדְשֶׁךָ כָּאָמוּר לְדָוִד בָּרְכִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת יְהֹוָה וְכָל קְרָבַי אֶת שֵׁם קָדְשׁוֹ
Nishmas kol chai t’voreich es shimcho Hashem Eloiheinu. V’ruach kol bosor t’fo’eir us’roimeim zichr’cho Malkeinu tomid.
Min ho’oilom v’ad ho’oilom attoh Eil. Umibal’odecho ein lonu melech goi’eil umoishi’a. Poideh umatzil um’farneis um’racheim b’chol eis tzoroh v’tzukoh. Ein lonu melech oizeir v’soimeich ello ottoh.
Elohei horishoinim v’ho’acharoinim. Eloiha kol b’riyois. Adoin kol toilodois. Ham’hullol b’roiv hatishbochois. Ham’naheig oilomoi b’chesed uv’riyoisov b’rachamim.
Va-Hashem loi yonum v’loi yishon. Ham’oireir y’sheinim. V’hameikitz nirdamim. V’hamei’siach ilmim. V’hamattir asurim. V’hasoimeich noiflim. V’hazoikeif k’fufim. L’cho l’vadd’cho anachnu moidim.
Illu finu molei shiroh kayom. Ul’shoineinu rinnoh kahamoin gallov. V’sifsoiseinu shevach k’merchavei roki’a. V’eineinu m’irois kashemesh v’chayorei’ach. V’yodeinu p’rusois k’nisrei shomayim. V’ragleinu kallois ko’ayolois. Ein anachnu maspikim l’hoidos l’cho Hashem Eloiheinu Veilohei avoiseinu. Ul’voreich es shimcho al achas mei’elef alfei alofim v’ribbei r’vovois p’omim. Hatoivois she’osiso im avoiseinu v’immonu.
MiMitzrayim g’altonu Hashem Eloiheinu. Umibeis avodim p’disonu. B’ro’ov zantonu. Uv’sova kilkaltonu. Meicherev hitzaltonu. Umidever millattonu. Umeicholoyim ro’im v’ne’emonim dillisonu.
Ad heinoh azorunu rachamecho. V’loi azovunu chasodecho. V’al titt’sheinu Hashem Eloiheinu lonetzach.
Al kein eivorim shefillagto bonu. V’ruach un’shomoh shenofachto b’apeinu. V’loshoin asher samto b’finu. Hein heim yoidu vivorechu vishab’chu vifoa’aru viroim’mu v’ya’aritzu v’yakdishu v’yamlichu es shimcho Malkeinu.
Ki chol peh l’cho yoideh. V’chol loshoin l’cho tishova. V’chol berech l’cho sichra. V’chol koimoh l’fonecho sishtachaveh. V’chol l’vovois yiro’ucho. V’chol kerev uchloyois y’zam’ru lishmecho. Kadovor shekosuv: kol atzmoisai toimarnoh Hashem mi chomoicho. Matzil oni meichozok mimenu. V’oni v’evyoin migoizloi.
Mi yidmeh loch. Umi yishveh loch. Umi ya’aroch loch. Ho’Eil hagodol hagibbor v’hanoro Eil Elyoin. Koinei shomayim vo’oretz.
N’hal’lecho un’shabbechacho un’fo’ercho un’voreich es sheim kodshecho. Ko’omur l’Dovid borchi nafshi es Hashem v’chol k’rovai es sheim kodsho.
Nishmat kol chai tevarech et shimcha Hashem Eloheinu. Veruach kol basar tefaer uteromem zichrecha Malkeinu tamid.
Min ha’olam ve’ad ha’olam ata El. Umibal’adecha ein lanu melech go’el umoshi’a. Podeh umatzil umefarneis umerachem bechol et tzara vetzuka. Ein lanu melech ozer vesomech ela ata.
Elohei harishonim veha’acharonim. Eloha kol beriyot. Adon kol toladot. Hamehulal berov hatishbachot. Hamenaheg olamo bechesed uveriyotav berachamim.
Va-Hashem lo yanum velo yishan. Hame’orer yeshenim. Vehamekitz nirdamim. Vehamesi’ach ilmim. Vehamatir asurim. Vehasomech noflim. Vehazokef kefufim. Lecha levadecha anachnu modim.
Ilu finu male shira kayam. Uleshonenu rina kahamon galav. Vesiftoteinu shevach kemerchabei rakia. Ve’eineinu me’irot kashemesh vechayareach. Veyadeinu ferusot kenisrei shamayim. Veragleinu kalot ka’ayalot. Ein anachnu maspikim lehodot lecha Hashem Eloheinu Velohei avoteinu. Ulevarech et shimcha al achat me’elef alfei alafim veribei revavot pe’amim. Hatovot she’asita im avoteinu ve’imanu.
MiMitzrayim ge’altanu Hashem Eloheinu. Umibeit avadim peditanu. Bera’av zantanu. Ubesava kilkaltanu. Mecherev hitzaltanu. Umidever milatanu. Umecholayim ra’im vene’emanim dilitanu.
Ad hena azarunu rachamecha. Velo azavunu chasadecha. Ve’al titshenu Hashem Eloheinu lanetzach.
Al ken evarim shefilagta banu. Veruach uneshama shenafachta be’apeinu. Velashon asher samta befinu. Hen hem yodu vivarechu vishab’chu vifo’aru viromemu veya’aritzu veyakdishu veyamlichu et shimcha Malkeinu.
Ki chol peh lecha yodeh. Vechol lashon lecha tishava. Vechol berech lecha tichra. Vechol koma lefanecha tishtachaveh. Vechol levavot yira’ucha. Vechol kerev uchlayot yezameru lishmecha. Kadavar shekatuv: kol atzmotai tomarna Hashem mi chamocha. Matzil ani mechazak mimenu. Ve’ani ve’evyon migozel’o.
Mi yidmeh lach. Umi yishveh lach. Umi ya’aroch lach. Ha’El hagadol hagibor vehanora El Elyon. Koneh shamayim va’aretz.
Nehalelcha uneshab’chacha unefa’ercha unevarech et shem kodshecha. Ka’amur leDavid barchi nafshi et Hashem vechol keravai et shem kodsho.
The soul of every living being shall bless Your Name, Hashem our God, and the spirit of all flesh shall glorify and exalt Your remembrance, our King, always. From the beginning of the world to its end, You are God. And besides You we have no king who redeems and saves, who ransoms and rescues, who sustains and has mercy in every time of trouble and distress. We have no king who helps and supports us, except You. God of the first and of the last, God of all creatures, Master of all generations, Who is praised with a multitude of praises, Who guides His world with kindness and His creatures with mercy. And Hashem neither slumbers nor sleeps. He rouses the sleepers and awakens the drowsy. He gives speech to the mute. He frees the bound. He supports the fallen. He straightens the bent. To You alone do we give thanks. Even if our mouths were full of song like the sea, and our tongues full of joyous singing like the multitude of its waves, and our lips full of praise like the breadth of the sky, and our eyes shining like the sun and the moon, and our hands spread out like the eagles of the heavens, and our feet swift like deer, we would still not be able to thank You enough, Hashem our God and God of our fathers, or to bless Your Name for even one of the thousand thousands of thousands and myriad myriads of times that You did good for our fathers and for us. From Egypt You redeemed us, Hashem our God, and from the house of bondage You freed us. In famine You nourished us, and in plenty You sustained us. From the sword You saved us, and from plague You delivered us, and from severe and lasting illness You drew us out. Until now Your mercies have helped us, and Your kindnesses have not forsaken us. Do not abandon us, Hashem our God, forever. Therefore, the limbs that You set within us, and the spirit and soul that You breathed into our nostrils, and the tongue that You placed in our mouths, they shall thank, bless, praise, glorify, exalt, revere, sanctify, and proclaim the sovereignty of Your Name, our King. For every mouth shall give thanks to You, and every tongue shall swear allegiance to You, and every knee shall bend to You, and every upright being shall bow before You, and all hearts shall fear You, and all innermost feelings and thoughts shall sing to Your Name. As the verse says: all my bones shall declare, Hashem, who is like You, who saves the poor from one stronger than he, the poor and the destitute from one who robs him. Who can be compared to You, who can be equal to You, who can be measured against You, the great, mighty, and awesome God, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. We shall praise You, laud You, glorify You, and bless Your holy Name. As it says: Of David, bless Hashem, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy Name.
Nishmat Kol Chai is one of the most beloved tefillos in the siddur. We say it every Shabbos morning as part of Pesukei d’Zimra, and it also appears in the Yom Tov morning service. The Gemara in Pesachim 118a records Rabbi Yochanan’s view that Nishmat is the Birkat HaShir of the Seder, linking it to the Seder’s closing praise. The tefillah itself is a powerful expression of praise and gratitude, and in recent years Nishmat has also become associated in some frum circles with personal tefillah for yeshuos.
What These Words Mean for You
Nishmas kol chai t’voreich es shimcho “The soul of every living being shall bless Your Name.”
The words for neshamah and neshimah are closely linked in lashon hakodesh. Breath and soul are bound together. Every breath becomes another chance to praise Hashem.
These opening words remind you that praise does not begin only when you feel inspired. Even on the days when davening feels heavy or distant, your very life is already a form of testimony. Your neshamah is still turning toward Hashem.
Poideh umatzil um’farneis um’racheim “He redeems, rescues, sustains, and has mercy.”
Four words. Four ways Hashem helps. Podeh means to redeem or ransom. Matzil means to save from danger. Mefarneis means to sustain and provide. Meracheim speaks of deep mercy and compassion.
This line reminds you that Hashem’s help is not one-dimensional. Sometimes the salvation is dramatic. Sometimes it is quiet. Sometimes it is rescue. Sometimes it is strength to keep going. Sometimes it is simple daily provision. And always, it is wrapped in mercy. Ilu finu molei shiroh kayom “Were our mouth as full of song as the sea.”
The tefillah says that even if our mouth were as vast as the ocean, our tongue as full as its waves, and our praise as expansive as the world itself, we still could not thank Hashem enough.
This is not just beautiful language. It trains the heart. Before you ask for what you still need, you stop and recognize how much Hashem has already done. Gratitude is not separate from your tefillah. It is the ground under it. Ad heinoh azorunu rachamecho “Until now Your mercy has helped us.”
These words teach you to look back before you look ahead. Until now means: I am standing here only because Hashem has carried me this far.
When the waiting feels long, these words help you remember that you are not starting from zero. Hashem’s rachamim have already brought you through more than you can count. The One Who helped until now has not let go of you now.
How to Say This Prayer
Say Nishmat Kol Chai once each day for forty consecutive days. Many people say it in the morning, after Shacharis. Others say it at night before they go to sleep. Pick a time that works for you and try to keep it consistent. The consistency matters.
You can say it sitting or standing, at home or in shul. If you are too emotional to read the Hebrew, say it in English or use the transliteration. Hashem hears every language. What matters is that your heart is in it.
Before you begin, set your kavanah. You might say quietly: “Hashem, I am saying Nishmat Kol Chai for forty days because I need Your mercy and Your yeshuah so deeply right now. Every breath praises You, and I want to connect my heart to that gratitude. Please, in the zechus of this commitment, open the gates of yeshuah for me.”
After the tefillah, you may say: Elokah d’Meir aneni! You may find additional comfort in the prayer for fertility treatments, a tefillah that speaks from the same place.
Give Tzedakah in the Zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness
The Gemara in Avodah Zarah (18a-b) tells how Bruria asked Rabbi Meir to rescue her sister, who had been condemned by the Romans to a house of shame. Rabbi Meir approached the guard, teaching him to say “Elaha d’Meir aneni!” — “God of Meir, answer me!” — if he was ever in danger. When the guard asked for proof, Rabbi Meir threw a clod of earth at nearby man-eating dogs. They lunged to devour him, and he called out the words — the dogs turned away. The guard was convinced and released her, relying on these words for salvation when he was caught and his life was in danger. By invoking these powerful words, you are asking Hashem to hear your tefillah in the merit of this great tzaddik.
Tefillah and tzedakah go together. When you say nishmat kol chai 40 days and also give tzedakah in the zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness, you are asking Hashem to hear your cry in the combined zechus of a great tzaddik and your own act of chesed. Your tefillah and your ma’asim tovim rise as one.
Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Charities was founded in 1799. It supports talmidei chachamim and the poor in Eretz Yisrael. The talmidei chachamim at the kever of Rabbi Meir in Tiberias daven for those who reach out to them. When you give tzedakah for the poor of Eretz Yisrael in the zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness, your chesed and your forty days of tefillah rise together.
Give Tzedakah in the Zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness
Tefillah and Practical Steps Together
Tefillah opens doors from Above. Hishtadlus opens doors from below. Neither one replaces the other.
Set a specific time each day for your Nishmat. Some people keep a small calendar and mark off each day. Others set a phone reminder. Whatever helps you stay consistent. The 40 days must be consecutive, so having a plan protects you from accidentally missing.
If you are saying the nishmat kol chai 40 days segulah for fertility, speak to your doctor and continue any medical treatment you are receiving. Tefillah and medicine are not in competition. Hashem sends refuah through the hands of doctors too. If you are davening for a shidduch, keep saying yes to meetings, keep putting yourself out there. If you are waiting for any other yeshuah, take whatever practical steps are in front of you.
Talk to someone you trust. A rav, a rebbetzin, a friend who davens. Accountability helps. And on the days when the tefillah feels heavy and the waiting feels long, keep going. That is the whole point of forty days. You are telling Hashem: I will not stop. For a related tefillah, see the jewish prayer for new baby. Nishmat Kol Chai is recited on Shabbos morning in Pesukei D’Zimra, and it also appears in Yom Tov morning liturgy. At the Pesach Seder, the Mishnah requires reciting Birkat HaShir after Hallel, and many Haggadot include this as Nishmat Kol Chai . In some contemporary Orthodox circles, people also recite Nishmat privately as an expression of gratitude, including a 40-day segulah practice. This is the prayer’s way of saying that no matter how much we praise Hashem, it could never be enough. Even if every part of our body became an instrument of praise, we would still fall short. It is an expression of how deep Hashem’s kindness runs, that we could never properly express the appreciation we owe. The exact authorship of Nishmat is uncertain. What can be said safely is that Nishmat has long held a central place in Jewish liturgy. Rabbi Meir was a great Tanna whose cry of “Elokah d’Meir aneni” rescued his sister-in-law from a desperate situation. Giving tzedakah in his zechus is asking Hashem to hear our own tefillah in the combined merit of this tzaddik and our act of chesed. Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Charities supports talmidei chachamim and families in Eretz Yisrael. Nishmat Kol Chai is formally part of Shabbos and Yom Tov davening, but later Torah sources also describe saying it as a personal tefillah of gratitude after a significant yeshuah. For that reason, some people do recite it during the week as an expression of thanks.
A Brachah for Your Forty Days
When a Yid commits to forty days of tefillah, that commitment itself is already a tefillah. The seriousness behind it, the willingness to stand before Hashem day after day without giving up, all of this Hashem sees. Every moment of sincerity counts.
May Hashem hear every word of your Nishmat Kol Chai, from the first day to the fortieth. May the gates of yeshuah open for you. May whatever you are waiting for, a child, a shidduch, a refuah, parnassah, or any yeshuah you carry in your heart, may it come b’karov. And may the forty days themselves bring you closer to Hashem, so that by the end you feel His presence in a way you did not before. You are not alone in this. Hashem is listening.
You can submit a prayer request to the talmidei chachamim who will daven on your behalf at the kever of Rabbi Meir in Tiberias at no cost. They will daven for your yeshuah by name through Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Charities. And if you would like to give tzedakah in Rabbi Meir’s zechus as well, your chesed will rise together with your tefillah.
